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Best Pho in Vancouver


cabrales

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Sandwich of the God's.

When you die and finally meet your maker, don't be suprised to find banh mi crumbs in his beard. It makes one wonder how the hell Subway stays in business.

6 inch warm fragrant french roll, mayo, your choice of meat, marinated carrot strips, marinated cucumber, cilantro and hot peppers. Meat choices are meatball (same as in pho, slightly rubbery, but good) ham, grilled pork or lemon grass chicken.

You're in Richmond, Jeff?

Saigon Star at the corner of Park and Cooney is excellent, but my new find is a tiny little hole in the wall. At Cook and #3 in the mall with the Staples beside Bob's Submarines. Don't know what it's called, but you can't miss it. Four tables, caters mostly to takeout crowd, four sandwiches for TEN FREAKIN' DOLLARS. It's insane. The mayo is different here, it looks like, well there's no other way to put it but the mayo looks like mud. I have no idea what's inside, maybe dried ground fermented fish? Anyway, it has that heavy umani hit you get from fish sauce, but is not fishy. I also had the Cambodian style pho there, which I'd never had before. It was very good, but new styles of soup seem somewhat extraneous when pho is also available.

And someone in this town could probably make a good sum of money starting a westernised, upscale in appearance chain of banh mi stands in office buildings etc.

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Sandwich of the God's.

Wow! That sounds pretty good, Keith! Yup, I work in Richmond, so I've noted the two places you mention and will give one of them a try real soon. Thanks!

And someone in this town could probably make a good sum of money starting a westernised, upscale in appearance chain of banh mi stands in office buildings etc.

And I'm sure Don Cherry would make a great spokesman. I can't think of the Vietnamese equivalent of "Toasted Tastes Better!", but it would certainly give him a whole new set of words to butcher.

I know a man who gave up smoking, drinking, sex, and rich food. He was healthy right up to the day he killed himself. - Johnny Carson
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Actually most bahn mi are toasted, after they are wrapped in paper and tied together by an elastic band. The mayo at Le Do is very wierd. Try not to look at it while you are eating. If you are already at Pho Thy thier subs are pretty good.

I saw the sign at Pho Thy - "Vietnamese sub - $2.50". I thought "what the hell kind of sub can you get for $2.50?" Maybe more than I think...

OK, I can now hear in my head Don Cherry bellowing "Ba-hani my eye! Beauty!!"

I know a man who gave up smoking, drinking, sex, and rich food. He was healthy right up to the day he killed himself. - Johnny Carson
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I saw the sign at Pho Thy - "Vietnamese sub - $2.50".  I thought "what the hell kind of sub can you get for $2.50?"  Maybe more than I think...

OK, I can now hear in my head Don Cherry bellowing "Ba-hani my eye!  Beauty!!"

thanks for the advice guys. looks like i will be going to kim phong!

I wanna say something. I'm gonna put it out there; if you like it, you can take it, if you don't, send it right back. I want to be on you.

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On Keith Talent's suggestion, I checked out Saigon Viet Star (in Richmond at Park & Cooney) today at lunch for a Vietnamese sub, or banh mi.

I sampled their BBQ chicken sub, along with a small pho. The pho was good, but unremarkable. The sub on the other hand... Keith, it was everything you said it would be. The baguette wonderfully soft yet crispy, tender chunks of chicken, with some tasty pickled carrots and a delicious aoili. It's making me hungry just thinking about it, and I've just had dinner!

I think I'll never visit Subway or Quizno's again, and will likely now be on a quest for the perfect banh mi.

I know a man who gave up smoking, drinking, sex, and rich food. He was healthy right up to the day he killed himself. - Johnny Carson
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  • 4 months later...
On Keith Talent's suggestion, I checked out Saigon Viet Star (in Richmond at Park & Cooney) today at lunch for a Vietnamese sub, or banh mi.

I sampled their BBQ chicken sub, along with a small pho.  The pho was good, but unremarkable.  The sub on the other hand... Keith, it was everything you said it would be.  The baguette wonderfully soft yet crispy, tender chunks of chicken, with some tasty pickled carrots and a delicious aoili.  It's making me hungry just thinking about it, and I've just had dinner!

I think I'll never visit Subway or Quizno's again, and will likely now be on a quest for the perfect banh mi.

I was browsing through the archives and ran across this post on Vietnamese subs. For a while there I was eating at least two a week. My favourite location is at a place called Bale (pronounced bah-lay).

It's kind of like a Vietnamese deli but they only make submarines and these sweet takeout desserts in plastic cups. It's a tiny little place at the corner of Main and Georgia in Chinatown. It's mainly takeout but they have two tiny tables for people that want to eat in.

I've been eating here off and on since 1986. The same husband and wife have been running the place. I always get the special sub without hot peppers. I have no idea what kinds of meat is in the sub and have never asked after all these years. There also used to be a store of the same name at the little mall at the corner of Kingsway and Fraser but I don't know if it's there anymore.

For anyone that's never tried a Vietnamese sub you should. For $2.50 you get this sub that's full of so many different kinds of flavours you'll never go back to a traditional submarine sandwich.

Someone left the cake out in the rain ...

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The Bale at fraser and kingsway is still running, and is great.

I always try to put two in me even though the roof of my mouth often objects to eating that much crusty baguette in one sitting.

Bale, is that the one beside the coffee shop and not right on Kingsway but just in front of it?

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Saigon Star is now gone, replaced by another generic chinese joint. (I only say generic from the outward appearance, it may be the greatest thing since a Vietnamese was hungry and all they could find was a baggette and few slices of leftover ham, I dunno maybe I'll take a look inside sometime.)

We've been frequenting Ph Ca Va at the corner of Saba and I don't know Avenue. It's on that new street behind the Richmond Public Market. It's okay, prefered Siagon Star.

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In regard to Ba Le its in a little mall on the corner of Fraser and Kingsway. Also in Surrey, in the T and T food fair. Just east on Kingsway is a place called Ben Do. Their subs are really nice. There also is a rather high stakes card game going on in the afternoon.

David Cooper

"I'm no friggin genius". Rob Dibble

http://www.starlinebyirion.com/

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Saigon Star is now gone, replaced by another generic chinese joint.

I know, I cried when I saw it was gone. Well, maybe not actually tears, 'cause I only made it there a few times.

I've been trekking back to Pho Thy for my pho and banh mi fixes.

I know a man who gave up smoking, drinking, sex, and rich food. He was healthy right up to the day he killed himself. - Johnny Carson
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  • 2 months later...

The Mouse family was in the neighbourhood on Sunday night, so we trooped into Pho Hoang for some soup. Hugely disappointed... at least I was. Ian thought it was "okay"; however, I found the broth to be much, much saltier than it has been in the past. An interesting dichotomy as Ian's usually a great deal more sensitive to salt than I am.

Kim Phung, here we come.

Joie Alvaro Kent

"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg

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  • 10 months later...

i've had a fair amount of this. i've had it all over. and the only thing i've made up in my mind is that there's shitty pho, and decent-good pho. anyone have any spots for really good pho? i heard saigon and bolado (sp?) are good. oh and the springrolls gotta be god too

bork bork bork

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Hamilton, Ontario 'pho da bau' serves a respectable pho.

But I've gotta say the best- bar none- pho I ever had was in Hanoi, from just about ever street corner. Ate it every day for breakfast. Still crave it.

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Check out Pho Century in the little mall on the corner of Willingdon and Kingsway (the one with the IGA in it). Good food, nice atmosphere.

T

"Great women are like fine wine...they only get better with age."
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Our family fave for a long time has been the little place on Hastings near the corner of Slocan (that's two blocks east of Renfrew). Darned if I can remember the name right now but it's on the north side of the street, one business west of Slocan, right beside some greasy spoon. The place is utterly charmless, but it is always packed because the pho is good and dirt cheap. Spring rolls are pretty fine too.

Cash only.

Paul B

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^Could it be Bao Chau? I mentioned it recently in another thread.

Definitely sounds like Bao Chau. Paul B, there's a Radio Shack across the street and a coffee shop on the corner of the next block, right?

Edited by sanrensho (log)
Baker of "impaired" cakes...
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new Pho in town ...

anyone been to the place on the corner of 30th and Main - it was philipino and recently reinveted itself as a Pho house, just noticed it yesterday (I guess I have been walking past with my eyes closed! Let me know if it is good, and if I don't here, I'll treck out for lunch one of these days.

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Speaking of Main Street ...

Had my sons with me today as it's Spring Break and all. Just before lunch time Matt asks for Bahn Mi, and Ryan for Pho. It was early enough to give Au Petite a try, and we were lucky enough to get the last table!

I know Au Petite is well known for their Bahn Mi, but the pho is pretty damn good too. In fact, for a bahn mi - pho lunch, I'd give Au Petite my #1 spot.

My favorite pho in Vancouver? Kim Phung (43rd & Victoria) ... but be sure to ask for the spicey broth.

A.

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MMMMM my favourite pho is my MOM's lol sorry i dun eat out at places like that alot I LOVE VIETNAMESE food, its so fresh flavourfulmmmmm now im hungry for Banh Mi, wait wan't i talking about pho. as you can see i have a short attnetion span. I think the best viet subs are from Hen long, this vietnamese market in Surrey, not many people know about it and its only 2 bucks!, In toronto i think you can get them for even less

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^Could it be Bao Chau? I mentioned it recently in another thread.

Definitely sounds like Bao Chau. Paul B, there's a Radio Shack across the street and a coffee shop on the corner of the next block, right?

Yup. That's it. Thanks.

A couple of years ago I took my father there for lunch. He was visiting from Toronto and had never had Vietnamese food. He was bowled over not only by the tastes but the price.

Mmmm. I could use some pho right now. I'm suffering from a cold and it might just clear me up....

Paul B

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Our family fave for a long time has been the little place on Hastings near the corner of Slocan (that's two blocks east of Renfrew).  Darned if I can remember the name right now but it's on the north side of the street, one business west of Slocan, right beside some greasy spoon.  The place is utterly charmless, but it is always packed because the pho is good and dirt cheap.  Spring rolls are pretty fine too.

Cash only.

You're either talking about Bao Chao or Le Petit Saigon. I'm positive Le Petit is cash only, not positive about Bao Chao because I haven't been there in ages, my memory is fading.

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You're either talking about Bao Chao or Le Petit Saigon.  I'm positive Le Petit is cash only, not positive about Bao Chao because I haven't been there in ages, my memory is fading.

Bao Chao is also cash only. Of the two, Bao Chao is the one located next to the greasy spoon.

Baker of "impaired" cakes...
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